Omentum is a nutrient-rich sheet of fat that is attached to the stomach and transverse colon area of most if not all mammals (this includes feline, bovine, ovine and porcine omentum). In general, the greater omentum hangs down over the intestines in the abdominal cavity while the lesser omentum is attached to the top edge of the stomach and stretches to the underside of the liver.
Omental lipid material is known to possess angiogenic factors that stimulate tissue vascularization, as disclosed in e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,386, to Nudelman, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,710,175 to Nudelman, which aids growth and healing. Thus, omental lipid extracts conventionally extracted using organic solvents have been disclosed as beneficial to treat a number of conditions such as epithelial wound healing in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,746 to Catsimpoolas (also see, for additional angiogenic effects, Cartier et al., J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 99:264-268, 1990; Goldsmith et al., J. Amer. Med. Ass'n. 252: 2034-2036, 1984; Levy et al., Eur. Surg. Res., 30: 138-143, 1998; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,699,788, 4,710,490, 4,778,787, and 4,888,324 to Catsimpoolas; U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,333 to Lane; International Publication Nos. WO 87/01939, WO 87/03811, and WO 87/06136 to Catsimpoolas); and for a number of uses such as in softening, moisturizing and smoothing of skin and reduction of calluses and white spots thereon as stated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,114 to Catsimpoolas.
As noted, the conventional method of extracting beneficial lipid factors from omental material is through the use of organic solvents, primarily hexane, at temperatures well below 100 degrees Celsius. This method was disclosed in “Lipid Angiogenesis Factor From Omentum” by Harry S. Goldsmith et al. (1984) J. Amer. Med. Ass'n. 252: 2034, which nearly all other disclosures of omental extraction follow, as can be seen for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,787 to Catsimpoolas and U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,173 to Kamarei. The use of organic solvents in an extraction process can pose risks in the extraction process and also may not be palatable to consumers having concerns regarding the chemicals to which they expose their bodies.
Hunter discloses a method of processing omental material without disclosing the use of an organic solvent in US 2004/0166170 A1. However, Hunter does not enable or fully describe any process for obtaining a particular end product. In the Hunter application, Hunter discloses a method of processing raw omental material at a wide temperature range of between 100 degrees Fahrenheit (referenced herein in some cases as “F”) and 300 degrees Fahrenheit and a preferred embodiment in which omental material should first be heated at a starting temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature should be raised by 20 degrees Fahrenheit every 2 hours for between 7 and 8 hours (which would result in an unknown end temperature since Hunter discloses to heat at a temperature and it is unclear what temperature is actually reached by the omental material in Hunter). Then the material is filtered by undisclosed means. It is unclear whether the filtrate or the retentate is kept. However, whatever is kept is disclosed to then be tempered at a temperature of 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, Hunter at best describes heating pieces of omental material, filtering the substance, and then cooling whatever substance is kept to 58 degrees Fahrenheit. Hunter fails to enable any method or composition.
Given the above, a need exists for a method of extracting therapeutic fractions from omental materials without the use of organic solvents and for compositions comprising such components.